# OPC-DA connection help **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [April 17, 2024, 11:47am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971 "2024-04-17T11:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jared\_Jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jared\_Jarvis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jared_Jarvis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 11:47am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/1 "2024-04-17T11:47:18Z")
Good morning, I am taking my first foray into Ignition, unfortunately, the first project is a large one. We have offshore assets that have established control networks and are trying to integrate Ignition to provide some visualization. Currently, the site where I am trying to setup a connection has a HoneyWell Experion PKS server. Browsing on the Experion, I see where to setup OPC integrations but I am not quite sure how to proceed. When I plug the server address into the OPC-DA connection, I don't find any results. Any assistance in getting this connection setup will be appreciate, I am flying blind here. ---
**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/2 "2024-04-17T12:31:13Z")
If the Ignition gateway is not on the same server as the OPC-DA server then you're going to run into a load of trouble trying to make a DA connection. In my limited experience that requires disabling of Windows security features - probably something you don't want. Various companies offer OPC tunnelling solutions. (Matrikon springs to mind.) The article below may help. > **[Tunneling OPC Data – What Is It?](https://blog.softwaretoolbox.com/what-is-an-opc-tunnel)** > > Learn what is meant by the term "OPC tunnel" and how it is relevant to making secure, reliable automation data transfers between computers. ---
**Author:** ![bschroeder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/bschroeder/32/13260_2.png) [@bschroeder](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/bschroeder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/3 "2024-04-17T12:56:32Z")
Ignition also has an additional module. I've integrated with this to DCS interfaces in the past. > **[OPC COM Tunneller Module | Ignition User Manual](https://www.docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/getting-started/modules-overview/additional-modules/OPC-COM-tunneller-module)** > > " " What does your overall architecture look like? ---
**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/4 "2024-04-17T12:59:27Z")
Cool. I didn't know about that. ---
**Author:** ![bschroeder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/bschroeder/32/13260_2.png) [@bschroeder](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/bschroeder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/5 "2024-04-17T13:06:49Z")
Yeah we've coupled it with an edge gateway to be the remote tag provider and viola, an all IA solution. ---
**Author:** ![Jared\_Jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jared\_Jarvis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jared_Jarvis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/6 "2024-04-17T13:47:26Z")
There are four Experion PKS servers with full redundancy, network switches and backbones. Its completely isolated - we are trying to stick a computer with Ignition on the same network and pull some tags off of it to provide visuals to corporate. Not sure the best way to accomplish this. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/7 "2024-04-17T13:52:42Z")
> [@Jared\_Jarvis](#): > > on the same network I wouldn't expect this to be sufficient. **Something** will have to be installed on those PKS servers. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/8 "2024-04-17T13:56:58Z")
Unless it's a new enough version of PKS to have OPC UA support (some Google-fu suggests R510 or later) you will likely need a UA tunneler on those servers. I suppose it's possible to get OPC Classic working... but yikes. Unless it just works in the current configuration the least disruptive thing to do would be to install a UA tunneler instead of mess around with security settings and DCOM. ---
**Author:** ![Jared\_Jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jared\_Jarvis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jared_Jarvis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/9 "2024-04-17T18:12:43Z")
Can you lead me to some documentation on a UA tunneler? Trying to find the best way to bring tag data out of the Experion without disruption. Unfamiliar with options available to me, new to Ignition. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/10 "2024-04-17T18:15:42Z")
I'd recommend UaGateway from Unified Automation: [UaGateway - Unified Automation](https://www.unified-automation.com/products/ua-runtime-software/uagateway.html) Another inexplicably more popular option is Matrikon's OPC UA tunneler: [https://www.matrikonopc.com/opc-ua/products/opc-ua-tunneller.aspx](https://www.matrikonopc.com/opc-ua/products/opc-ua-tunneller.aspx) I can only guess Matrikon is more popular simply because the US market doesn't know any better / know about Unified Automation. ---
**Author:** ![Jared\_Jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jared\_Jarvis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jared_Jarvis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/11 "2024-04-17T18:31:19Z")
Is there a better way that I am missing to bring the tags from the preexisting Experion PKS into the Ignition Gateway? Or do you recommend the UA tunneler? ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/12 "2024-04-17T18:32:55Z")
I don't know anything about Experion PKS other than it has an OPC server, which I only learned since this thread started. ---
**Author:** ![Jared\_Jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jared\_Jarvis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jared_Jarvis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 9:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/13 "2024-04-17T21:16:28Z")
I was able to figure this out. I domain joined the Ignition gateway to the control system domain. Able to browse OPC devices. It was a security thing. ---
**Author:** ![Jared\_Jarvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jared\_Jarvis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Jared_Jarvis)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-da-connection-help/88971/14 "2024-04-25T22:52:34Z")
I ended up resolving this without the use of an OPC tunneller. I've seen a few questions about OPC-DA and DCOM issues. What resolved it for me - Downloaded OPC core components from OPC foundation. Setup the DCOM settings as per Ignitions guide. [https://support.inductiveautomation.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047134152-Setting-up-and-troubleshooting-OPC-COM-connections](https://support.inductiveautomation.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047134152-Setting-up-and-troubleshooting-OPC-COM-connections)) Checked my target OPC server to see what account was running OPC services. Created a local Windows account on my Ignition gateway computer using the same credentials. Run OPCEnum service as this new local account - ensuring that it matches your target remote computers account. \*\*\*I also have a domain account with the same username and password, but I am not sure this is necessary. I can now browse my devices and receive asynchronous updates from both an OPC explorer and my Ignition gateway. Thanks for the helpful hints and documentation.